Rail seat and support structure

ABSTRACT

A rail seat and support structure for mounting, cushioning, anchoring and insulating a rail. A flexible rail seat is provided with the rail seat being of resilient material and having surfaces assisting in forming a recess. The recess is open to the exterior of the rail seat on its upper surface and has an interior configuration corresponding to the base flange and the lower portion of the vertical portion of the rail so as to receive and engage those portions of the rail in insulating, cushioning and bearing relationship. The rail seat also has at least one interior chamber adjacent to each side of the rail and a bar in each of the chambers. A base plate having a horizontal portion and two spaced upright longitudinal side walls is present and the rail seat is positioned in the base between the side walls and is adapted to receive the rail in substantially parallel relationship with the side walls. A clamping plate is positioned on the upper surface of the rail seat on both sides of the rail and mounting means are present for fastening the assembled rail seat and support structure to a rail bed so as to maintain the rail seat and support structure in assembled arrangement, connected to the rail bed, and to retain the rail in mounted, cushioned and insulated position.

United States Patent [191 McClung et al.

[in 3,826,424 [451 July 30, 1974 RAIL SEAT AND SUPPORT STRUCTURE [75] inventors: Robert A. McClung, West Palm Beach, Fla; Frank V. Pliml, Jr., Arlington Heights, 111.

[73] Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc., Chicago,

Ill. by said Pliml 22 Filed: June20, 1972 21 Appl. No.: 264,678

Related US. Application Data [60] Division of Ser. No. 208,462, Dec. 15, l97l, which is a continuation of Ser. No. 10,242, Feb. 10, i970.

[52] US. Cl 238/264, 238/283, 238/307, 238/338, 238/373 [51] Int. Cl E0lb 9/02 [58] Field of Search 238/283, 264, 282, 280, 238/338, 343, 306, 307, 309, 297, 349

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,l72,603 3/1965 Bcll ct al 238/265 3,576,293 4/l97l Lundis et al. 233/283 Primary Examiner-M. Henson Wood, Jr.

Assistant Examiner-Richard A. Bertsch Attorney, Agent, or Firm-4. R. Halvorsen; Robert W. Beart 5 7] ABSTRACT A rail seat and support structure for mounting, cushioning, anchoring and insulating a rail. A flexible rail seat is provided with the rail seat being of resilient material and having surfaces assisting in forming a recess. The recess is open to the exterior of the rail seat on its upper surface and has an interior configuration corresponding to the base flange and the lower portion of the vertical portion of the rail so as to receive and engage those portions of the rail in insulating, cushioning and bearing relationship. The rail seat also has at least one interior chamber adjacent to each side of the rail and a bar in each of the chambers. A base plate having a horizontal portion and two spaced upright longitudinal side walls is present and the rail seat is positioned in the base between the side walls and is adapted to receive the rail in substantially parallel relationship with the side walls. A clamping plate is positioned on the upper surface of the rail seat on both sides of the rail and mounting means are present for fastening the assembled rail seat and support structure to a rail bed so as to maintain the rail seat and support structure in assembled arrangement, connected to the rail bed, and to retain the rail in mounted, cushioned and insulated position.

7 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PAlmn-iomaomu 3.826.424

SHEEI 30? 3 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This is a division of application Ser. No. 208,462, filed Dec. 15, 1971, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. l0,242, filed Feb. 10, 1970.

In addition to cushioning and insulating a rail which is mounted in position to form a continuous track, it is important that the rail be adequately supported in both the lateral and longitudinal directions as well as vertically. This is particularly true when one is concerned with providing a track which is adequate and functional for the high speed as well as heavy freight, modern rail transportation vehicles.

At extremely high speeds, the rail which supports the rapidly moving vehicle must be able to withstand extremely high lateral stresses as well as high longitudinal stresses. There are various types of rail seat and supporting structures that are proposed and in use today which are directed principallytoward cushioning the rail for high speed travel and insulating the rail from ontact with the rail bed or other portions of the supporting structure. However, it has been found that on occasion the rail and supporting structure combination is subjected to extremely high lateral stresses and the presently available rail seat and supporting structures, although helpful in giving adequate support for high speed travel, have not been able to provide the resistance to the high speed travel, have not been aboe to provide the resistance to the high lateral stresses occurring and the necessary stability which is most desirable as well as providing sufficient resistance to longitudinal stresses.

Therefore, it would be extremely advantageous in the art to provide a rail seat and support structure which will give the desirable amount of lateral and longitudinal support as well as cushioning, insulating and anchoring the rail mounted therein.

Naturally, it is also desirable in the art to provide a mounting means for the rail seat and support structure to rigidly mount the entire assembly to a rail bed with the mounting means affording the maximum amount of support for maintaining the rail seat and supporting structure in fixed relationship in respect to the rail bed for the longest possible period of time while minimizing the danger of loosening of the mounting means in the rail bed and consequently displacing of the rail seat and supporting structure from its fixed mounted position.

With the existing high speed rail seat and support structures, the majority of the lateral stress on the rail is often transferred to the upper portion of the mounting means or bolts utilized in fastening the support structure to the rail bed. Under extremely high lateral stresses, the standard bolts normally used are not adequate to withstand such forces and will bend outwardly from the rail or shear and thereby cause failure of the support structure. It would be particularly effective if the majority of the forces caused by the lateral stress could be transferred from the upper or weaker portion of the fastening bolt means to the lower portion of the fastening bolt means adjacent to the rail bed where strength is greater and to additional vertical supporting surfaces to thereby distribute the forces and minimize the danger of failure due to lateral stress.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION With the above factors in mind, among the primary objectives of this invention is to provide a rail seat and support structure which will adequately-provide the necessary support in both a longitudinal and lateral direction in order to alleviate the danger of failure of the rail seat and support structure when it is subjected to extreme lateral or longitudinal stresses. The rail seat and support structure of this invention also provides for cushioning the rail in its fixed position within the support structure and insulating the rail from contact with other metallic elements which as discussed above are both desirable and necessary features for electrical and for high speed rail systems as well. Additionally, this invention provides mounting means for the rail seat and support structure which facilitates the mounting of the rail seat to a rail bed in a fixed manner while minimizing the danger of loosening of the mounting means in the rail bed and consequent displacement of the rail assembly from its fixed and mounted position. The mounting means are also resistive to corrosive and electrolytic action thereby adding an additional safeguard against the weakening and possible displacement of the rail assembly from the rail bed.

This invention provides a rail seat and support structure for mounting, cushioning and insulating a rail. A flexible rail seat of resilient dielectric material is provided and has surfaces assisting in the formation of a recess. The recess is open to the exterior of the rail seat on its upper surface and has an interior configuration corresponding to the base flange and lower portion of the rail so as to receive and engage those portions of the rail in insulating and cushioning relationship. The rail seat has at least one interior chamber adjacent to the rail and a bar is located in each of said chambers. A base plate having a horizontal portion and two spaced upright longitudinal portions forms part of the support structure and the rail seat is positioned in the base between the side walls thereof and is adapted to receive the rail in substantially parallel relationship with the side walls. A clamping plate is positioned on the upper surface of the rail seat on both sides of the rail and mounting means which is adapted to be fastened to a rail bed and to the rail seat and support structure so as to maintain the rail seat and support structure in assembled arrangement, connected to the rail bed, and to retain the rail seat in mounted, cushioned, and insulated position thereon is provided as part of the over-all assembly.

With the above objects, among others, in mind, reference is had to the attached drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of two rail seat and support structures of the invention mounted to a rail bed in spaced relationship and having a rail mounted therein;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional end elevation view thereof taken along the plane of line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional end elevation view thereof taken along the plane of line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional end elevation view thereof taken along the plane of line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view thereof;

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIGS. 1-5 show one embodiment of the rail seat and supporting structure assembly of this invention. Assembly 20 includes a rail seat 21, a base plate 22, a clamping plate 38 and mounting means or bolt assemblies 24. In the embodiments shown as being representative of the concept of this invention, the assembly 20 is adapted for fastening a rail of the type shown to a rail bed 26 It will be noted that rail 25 includes a base flange 26, a vertical connecting portion 27 and a rail head 28. In turn, the rail bed includes a concrete base 28' having a prefabricated asbestos cement panel 29 with steel studs and plastic concrete anchors cast into its upper surface. Panel 29' is permanently mounted in the foundation. The asbestos cement panel provides a prefabricated hardened and smooth surface on which to place assembly 20 which seats and supports rail 25. A prefabricated unit is provided which holds the studs and concrete anchors in exact location withperfect spacing, verticalness and stud alignment and also provides a hardened and smooth surface three times tougher than concrete on which to place assembly 20 along with whatever other member desired.

Rail seat 21 is constructed of a resilient dielectric cushioning material such as Butyl rubber. The rail seat is preformed in a number of pieces which when assembled assume a desired configuration having particularly desirable recesses as discussed below. To facilitate assembly of the rail seat and support structure 20, the rail seat may be constructed as a three-piece arrangement with a lower bottom portion 30 and upper top or cover portions 31 and 31 The configuration ,of the over-all assembly of rail seat 21 is such that it will substantially entirely fit within the chamber formed by base plate 22.

Base plate 22 consists of a bottom plate 32 whichis horizontally positioned on panel 29 and two upstanding I substantially parallel side walls 33 extending the longitudinal length of assembly 20. Rail seat 21 may be positioned within the chamber formed by the horizontally positioned base plate 22 and upstanding side walls 33. The inner surface of each upstanding side wall 33 is sloped outwardly slightly from bottom to top, for example on the order of 2, to facilitate positioning of rail seat 21 within base plate 22 so as to permit seat 21 to assume its natural configuration when rail seat and support structure 20 is assembled and mounted to the rail bed 26.

The bottom portion 30 of rail seat 21 has a pair of opposing rectangular shaped recesses 34 and 35 located therein which serve to assist in forming a pair of chambers 34 and 35' when the upper portions 31 and 31' of rail seat 21 are positioned on lower portion 30. Each chamber 34 and 35' is defined by the underside of the top portion 31 or 31', the adjacent outeredge of rail flange 26, the wall surface of recess 34 or 35, the inner surface of the bottom 32 of base plate 22, the inner surface of a side wall 33 and the upper surface of the outer portions of bottom portion 30 of the rail seat. Located within chambers 34' and 35 are a pair of rectangular shaped bars 36 and 37 which conform to the shape of chambers 34 and 35' and the upper part of which abuts, on one side, against the inner surface of upstanding sides 33 of base plate 22 and on the other side against the railflange. To achieve this condition, the side of chambers 34' and 35 adjacent to upright portions 33 are open to the inner surface of upright portions 33 permitting communication between bars 36 and 37 and upright portions 33. In turn, the side of each chamber above recesses 34 and 35 and adjacent the rail flange are open to the outer edge of the flange thereby permitting communication between the bars and the rail. Additionally, the bars 36 and 37 have rectangular projections 36' and 37' respectively extending from the lower surface thereof. Each projection conforms to the shape of recesses 34 and 35 so as to be confined in positionby the side wall of each recess '34 and 35 and the inner surface of bottom plate 32. In order to maintain the insulated condition of the rail as well as to maintain maximum support, the bars 36 and 37 are generally constructed of a strong, yet non-conductive material. A metallic bar of, for example, steel housed with a molded plastic cover of insulated material has been found to function satisfactorily in this regard. In this manner no metallic portion of the support contacts the rail.

Positioned on the upper surface of rail seat 21 are a I pair of opposed clamping plates 38 with each clamping plate being similar in configuration. The configuration of clamping'plates 38 is substantially rectangular with the inner portion 39 thereof extending upward from the horizontal as it approaches the rail. Portions 39 are insulated from contact with rail 25 by means of the inner upper portions 45 and 45' of cover portions 31 and 31 which extends therebetween. v

A portion of each clamping plate 38 distal from the rail 25 in assembled position contains a centrally located detent or recess 40 which is of sufficient size and configuration so as to receive upward projection 41 extending from the central upper surface of each side wall 33 of base plate 22. With this arrangement, the inner surface of projection 41 engages with surfaces on detent 40 so as to assist in laterally and longitudinally supporting clamping plate 38.

Each mounting means 24 consists primarily of a rigid insert 42 permanently mounted in concrete base 28, and upwardly extending threaded stud 43 permanently mounted within insert 42 and a locking nut 44 having a threaded bore which engages with the threaded outer surface of stud 43 to maintain assembly 20 in fixed relationship and mounted to rail bed 26. To facilitate proper installation and bolting pressures, the spacing sleeve 43' surrounds the central portion of stud 43. Sleeve 43' is of a rigid sturdy material such as steel. The steel clamping plate 38 comes to bear-on the sleeve when it is bolted down in final position. The sleeve in turn bears on the base plate. In this manner the depth to which the clamping plate can be lowered is regulated by the vertical height of the sleeve. When the sleeve sits on the base plate and the clamping plate sits on the sleeve, the assembly can be compressed no further. This permits the load on the resilient rail seat to be preset to the desired amount and also permits the load on the stud to be pre-set. In this manner, the loads on certain portions of the assembly can be closely controlled during assembly and prior to use. Therefore, the strongest possible support assembly can be provided for all types of eventual loads. Each anchor or insert 42 is of an irregular shape to facilitate its permanent positioning within concrete base 28'. It may be constructed of many convenient materials, however, one material which has been found to be satisfactory is a hard plastic which may be molded in an irregular configuration, is a substantially dielectric material, resists corrosion and is resistant to electrolytic action. There are several types of plastics which will work adequately and one should be chosen which is resilient in addition to other qualities in order to prevent damage to the concrete due to lateral and longitudinal stresses which would loosen the insert and increase the chances of the sup port structure assembly being displaced from its fixed position in the rail bed. Mounted permanently in plastic insert or anchor 42 is the lower end of stud 43 and it extends substantially vertically upwardly therefrom when rail seat and support structure 20 is properly positioned for assembly, there are a set of aligned openings in cement panel 29, base plate 32, rail seat 21 and clamping plate 38. Each stud 43 extends upwardly through a set of these aligned openings and an additional distance above the upper surface of clamping plate 38. Sleeve 43' surrounds a portion of stud 43. A nut 44 having a threaded bore therethrough is then engaged with the threaded outer surface of the upper end of the stud 43 to lock rail seat and support structure 20 in position.

in laying track, each assembly 20 may be positioned at predetermined spacing along the length of the track with the distance being a matter of choice. It has been found that one assembly 20 positioned at approximately every 30 inches of rail has been found to work satisfactorily. It is of no great consequence whether the assembly 20 is positioned where two lengths of rail are joined or intermediate the ends of one length of rail 25.

For further cushioning effect in heavier load applications, a channel 41' may be positioned under the rail between each pair of assemblies 20. The channel 41 would be of a similar flexible material as that of the rail seat and would embrace the bottom and the side edges of the rail flange. It may also abut each pair of assemblies 20 to form a substantially continuous cushion for the rail as it rests on cement panel 29. It is preferable and generally necessary to use channel 41' in trackage where trains have axle loads exceeding 30,000 pounds. An asbestos cement panel 45 is positioned within a recess in the channel 41' to increase the strength of the channel in support of the rail and to provide the correct thickness of the elastomer. As shown in FIG. 4, panel 45 is insulated from the rail by a portion of channel 41.

For exemplary purposes the type of rail or track shown in the drawings will be discussed. This is a common type of rail in use today and basically consists of a lower flange portion 26, an intermediate upright connecting portion 27 and a rail head portion 28.

In laying the track, the rail bed 26 is naturally positioned first with mounting means 24 solidly fixed in position so that studs 43 extend upwardly at the desired intervals. The base plate 22 is then positioned on studs 43 and the lower portion of rail seat 21 is positioned within base plate 22. Bars 36 and 37 may then be positioned in chambers 34 and intermediate each successive pair of bolts. lt should be noted in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 through 4 that there are four separate mounting means 24 with each one being positioned adjacent a corner of rectangular support structure 20. Each bar 36 is positioned between the pair of stud assemblies on each side of rail 25. Channels 41' are then placed between each pair of assemblies 20 on concrete formation 28. The base portion 26 of rail 25 may then be positioned in the central recess of the lower portion 31 of rail seat 21 on portion 30 and on the adjacent channels 41'. The upper portions 31 and 31 of rail seat 21 are then placed within base plate 22 with its pre-formed holes passing over each individual stud assembly as was done with the lower portion 30 of rail seat 21. The central opening between upper portions 31 and 31 of rail seat 21 is preferably designed with a configuration approximately the lower part of vertical connection portion 27 of rail 25. The head 28 of the rail extends above the upper surface of assembly 20 to permit a vehicle thereon.

The clamping plates are then positioned on the stud assemblies with one clamping plate 38 being positioned on each side of the upper surface of support structure 20. As previously discussed, the inner portion of clamping plate 38 extends upwardly with respect to the horizontal as it approaches rail 25. The inner edge of plate 38 is insulated from contact with rail 25 by means of an interposed lip portion 45 of rail seat 21. This interposed portion 45 provides insulation means to help prevent rail 25 from contacting any other portion of the rail seat and supporting structure other than rail seat 21.

It should also be noted that upper portion 31 of rail seat 21 in its unfastened position normally extends above the plane of the upper surface of the majority of side walls 33. Therefore, before assembly20 is fastened by means of nuts 44, the lower surface of clamping plates 38 do not contact the upper surface of side walls 33. This space along with the outwardly sloping side walls and the detents 46 in the upper and lower surfaces of upper portion 31 and 31 permits a margin of movement for the rail seat so that when assembly 20 is locked in position by means of nuts 44, the resilient rail seat may conform to its naturally compressed condition to provide resilient support, cushioning, insulating and anchoring for the entire rail and support structure assembly.

Nuts 44 are then threaded downwardly on studs 43 driving clamping plates 38 downward into locking engagement and solidifying assembly 20 so that rail 25 is held in positive fixed position.

The resultant assembled structure provides high resistance to longitudinal stress by means of the positioning of the mounting means assemblies 24 and the engagement between the end walls of projection 41 and the side walls 47 of detent 40 among other strengthening features of the assembly. Naturally, a particularly advantageous feature of the above discussed assembly is its resistance against extreme lateral stresses imposed upon rail 25 during use in high speed or heavy freight transportation. A portion of the lateral stress is absorbed by the engagement between the outer surface of detent 40 and the inner surface of projection 41. Additionally, another large portion of the lateral stress is taken up by the side walls 33 of base plate 32 which extend upwardly and tend to hold the whole assembly against lateral stress. Additional support is also present in the rail seat itself in the form of the bars 36 and 37 which engage with the side walls 33 and tend to hold the rail and rail seat in position within the assembly under the forces of lateral stress. Furthermore, the particulaf configuration of base plate 22, the positioning of bars 36 and 37, and the presence of projection 41 assist in transferring the majority of the stress on studs 43 provide a much stronger rail seat and support structure which is resistant to very high lateral stresses than was previously known in the art.

Thus, the above objectives of the invention, among others, are effectively achieved.

I claim:

1. A rail seat and support structure for mounting, cushioning, insulating and anchoring a rail having a base flange, a head, and an intermediate vertical connecting portion to join the base and head comprising:

a flexible rail seat of resilient dielectric material and having surfaces assisting in forming a recess therein; a

said recess open to the exterior of said rail seat on the upper surface thereof and having an interior configuration corresponding to the base flange and the lower part of said vertical portion of the rail so as to receive and engage those portions of the rail in insulating and cushioning relationship;

said rail seat having at least one interior chamber adjacent to said rail;

an insulated substantially rigid bar in each of said chambers;

a base plate having a horizontal portion and two spaced upright longitudinal sidewalls;

the rail seat positioned in said base between said sidewalls and adapted to receive the rail in substantially parallel relationship with said sidewalls;

each of said chambers in said rail seat being opened to a sidewall so that the rigid insulated bar in said chamber bears against said sidewall and assists in strengthening said rail seat and support structure;

a clamping plate positioned on the upper surface of said rail seat on both sides of the rail; and

mounting means adapted to be fastened to a rail bed and to said rail seat and support structure so as to maintain said rail seat and support structure in assembled arrangement connected to said rail bed and to retain said rail in mounted, cushioned, anchored, and insulated position thereon.

2. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein said bar is a combination of metal and plastic materials for dielectric and abrasive advantages.

3. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein the underside of said clamping plate is slightly vertically spaced fromthe upper surface of the adjacent sidewall prior to fastening of saidmounting means so that when said mounting means is engaged to rigidly assemble said rail seat and supporting structure and attach it to a rail bed the spacing will permit the resilient rail seat to deform to its optimum configuration.

4. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein said mounting means includes at least a pair of stud assemblies with each stud assembly mounted in alignment with another on opposite sides of the rail, each said stud assembly including an enlarged, rigid insert permanently mounted in said rail bed, a stud extending upwardly therefrom and having a threaded upper end, said stud extending through aligned openings in said rail bed, said base plate, said rail seat, and said clamping plate, and a threaded nut mounted on the threaded upper end of said stud so that when said nut is threaded a predetermined distance on said stud with respect to each of said stud assemblies, said rail seat and support structure will be rigidly mounted to said rail bed and said rail will be rigidly mounted in said rail seat and support structure, and, a rigid pipelike sleeve surrounding the central portion of each stud and extending for a predetermined axial distance along each stud to provide an automatic stopwhich permits preloading of the rail seat to the-desired P.S.l.. load and preloading the stud in tension so that the stud can not be relieve from load and subjected to increased vibration.

5. The invention in accordance with claim 4 wherein each of said inserts is of a hard, plastic, high dielectric material and is of anirregular configuration to facilitate its permanent positioning within said rail bed.

6. The invention in accordance with claim 5 wherein said inserts are resistant to corrosion and electrolytic action and are resilient to facilitate the prevention of damage of said rail bed which would loosen said insert.

7. A track assembly comprising:

a rail bed;

a rail;

a rail seat and support structure mounted to said rail;

flowable material forming said rail bed. 

1. A rail seat and support structure for mounting, cushioning, insulating and anchoring a rail having a base flange, a head, and an intermediate vertical connecting portion to join the base and head comprising: a flexible rail seat of resilient dielectric material and having surfaces assisting in forming a recess therein; said recess open to the exterior of said rail seat on the upper surface thereof and haviNg an interior configuration corresponding to the base flange and the lower part of said vertical portion of the rail so as to receive and engage those portions of the rail in insulating and cushioning relationship; said rail seat having at least one interior chamber adjacent to said rail; an insulated substantially rigid bar in each of said chambers; a base plate having a horizontal portion and two spaced upright longitudinal sidewalls; the rail seat positioned in said base between said sidewalls and adapted to receive the rail in substantially parallel relationship with said sidewalls; each of said chambers in said rail seat being opened to a sidewall so that the rigid insulated bar in said chamber bears against said sidewall and assists in strengthening said rail seat and support structure; a clamping plate positioned on the upper surface of said rail seat on both sides of the rail; and mounting means adapted to be fastened to a rail bed and to said rail seat and support structure so as to maintain said rail seat and support structure in assembled arrangement connected to said rail bed and to retain said rail in mounted, cushioned, anchored, and insulated position thereon.
 2. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein said bar is a combination of metal and plastic materials for dielectric and abrasive advantages.
 3. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein the underside of said clamping plate is slightly vertically spaced from the upper surface of the adjacent sidewall prior to fastening of said mounting means so that when said mounting means is engaged to rigidly assemble said rail seat and supporting structure and attach it to a rail bed the spacing will permit the resilient rail seat to deform to its optimum configuration.
 4. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein said mounting means includes at least a pair of stud assemblies with each stud assembly mounted in alignment with another on opposite sides of the rail, each said stud assembly including an enlarged, rigid insert permanently mounted in said rail bed, a stud extending upwardly therefrom and having a threaded upper end, said stud extending through aligned openings in said rail bed, said base plate, said rail seat, and said clamping plate, and a threaded nut mounted on the threaded upper end of said stud so that when said nut is threaded a predetermined distance on said stud with respect to each of said stud assemblies, said rail seat and support structure will be rigidly mounted to said rail bed and said rail will be rigidly mounted in said rail seat and support structure, and, a rigid pipelike sleeve surrounding the central portion of each stud and extending for a predetermined axial distance along each stud to provide an automatic stop which permits preloading of the rail seat to the desired P.S.I. load and preloading the stud in tension so that the stud can not be relieve from load and subjected to increased vibration.
 5. The invention in accordance with claim 4 wherein each of said inserts is of a hard, plastic, high dielectric material and is of an irregular configuration to facilitate its permanent positioning within said rail bed.
 6. The invention in accordance with claim 5 wherein said inserts are resistant to corrosion and electrolytic action and are resilient to facilitate the prevention of damage of said rail bed which would loosen said insert.
 7. A track assembly comprising: a rail bed; a rail; a rail seat and support structure mounted to said rail; mounting means connected to said rail bed and said rail seat and support structure to maintain said rail and rail seat and support structure in fixed relationship with respect to said rail bed; said mounting means including an irregularly shaped plastic insert permanently anchored in said rail bed, said plastic insert being a one piece device having an upper and lower cone shaped ribbed portion joined at their major dimensions to define an enlarGed intermediate flange and a plurality of circumferentially spaced axially disposed interstices between adjacent ribs to accept and cooperate with flowable material forming said rail bed. 